Yield Editor 2.0

Because turning this…

-93.260872,39.294012,0.00,24538654,1,44,180,0.00,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

-93.260889,39.294006,0.00,24538655,1,45,180,0.00,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

-93.260897,39.294004,0.00,24538656,1,50,180,0.00,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

-93.260908,39.293998,0.00,24538657,1,50,180,0.00,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

-93.260925,39.293993,0.40,24538658,1,50,180,0.00,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

-93.260939,39.293987,2.00,24538659,1,51,180,0.00,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

-93.260950,39.293981,3.40,24538660,1,52,180,0.00,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

-93.260966,39.293973,6.40,24538661,1,52,180,0.00,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

.

.

.

-93.260978,39.293968,7.10,24538662,1,53,180,3.50,1,1,3260,"F1: C3S","L1: ","Corn","DK 616"

into that…

and not THAT…

should be as easy as this.

Version 2.01

9/29/12

Introduction

Yield maps are a key component of precision agriculture, due to their usefulness in both

development and evaluation of precision management strategies. The preparation of yield maps

is complicated by the fact that raw yield maps contain a variety of inherent errors. The removal

of these errors is critical, since they are present in a relatively large proportion of the data

observations. Researchers generally report that somewhere between 10% and 50% of their data

observations should be removed by filtering procedures, depending on the specific data set and

filtering procedures used. Even at the 10% level, these errors – if ignored - will have a strong

effect on resulting yield statistics, and may lead the end user to very different conclusions than

would the raw data.

Currently, no standard method exists for cleaning yield data, though many different filtering

techniques have been suggested to address specific error types. While a generally accepted

standard procedure for cleaning yield data is an important long term goal, a necessary first step is

a tool that allows the user to select, apply and evaluate a variety of filtering techniques during the

processing of raw yield data.

Yield Editor represents our efforts to develop just such a tool. It is based upon our own

experiences with yield data processing issues as well as information gleaned from discussions

with other experienced practitioners and researchers. We hope that you find it both useful and

easy to use. However, please realize that this is NOT a finished product, and errors, both coded

and conceptual, are bound to exist. If you find such problems, please let us know. If you have

suggestions for modifications or enhancements that you feel would improve the tool, we would

appreciate those as well. Even just a note describing the features that you like or dislike the most

will help us as we try to complete development of this software. Thank you in advance for

taking the time to evaluate this tool.

The new beta version 2.01 of Yield Editor includes some of the improvements and updates that

users of the software have asked me to include. I’m planning to do several updates over time –

some of which will be due to trapping errors that users always seem to find – but some will be

completing additional features that are currently under development, almost all of which are due

to user suggestions.

While the basic engine is still intact, there are many new features that attempt to better automate

the yield cleaning process. In particular, the Automated Yield Cleaning Expert (AYCE) module

is able to filter a very high percentage of yield errors out of yield maps very quickly, and with

little or no user input. A legend tool has been added that can assist the user in interactively

determining the best setting for many of the filters. And a command line tool has been added to

allow for batch mode processing of large data sets – a tool that those with thousands of acre-

years of data may be happy to see. We hope you find this software useful, and please continue to

provide feedback as we continue to revise and improve the software.

Contact Information

For questions or comments with Yield Editor, please contact:

Scott Drummond

IT Specialist

USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Unit

269 Agr Engr Bldg – UMC

Columbia, MO 65211

573 882-1114 Ext 306

drummonds@missouri.edu

Requirements and Installation

System Requirements:

Windows 95 (or greater, XP is currently the most thoroughly tested)

1024x768 (or greater) resolution display, 1280x800 recommended

600 MHz Processor or faster recommended

Installation:

Download and run the YieldEditor100.exe program. The program will ask you several questions

about installation paths, shortcuts and quick launch options. The program installs in a standard

windows fashion, and will set up the necessary uninstall files to make that process easy at a later

date.

Running the software:

Use the start button to select the Yield Editor program from the Yield Editor folder. If you asked

for shortcut or quick launch installations, you can also begin the program through one of these

routes. The program starts, loads a default filter and configuration file, and then launches you

into the Load/Import File tab - the first of the three tabbed pages that make up Yield Editor.

Major Changes to Yield Editor

Automated Yield Cleaning Editor (AYCE)

For folks already familiar with Yield Editor, the most important addition in version 2 is the

Automated Yield Cleaning Expert (AYCE) window, shown at the bottom of Figure 1, which

introduces two new filters (Overlap (OVL) and localized standard deviation (LSD)), as well as

allowing automated selection of parameters for many of the previously existing yield filters.

There are now options for automated selection of delay times (for grain and moisture flow) as

well as automated selection of reasonable parameter ranges for many of the original Yield Editor

filters described later in this document. Methodology used by AYCE for setting each of these

parameters is more completely described in Sudduth et al., (2012) and provides data on the

performance of these tools on a large test set of harvest data. See the section in this manual on

AYCE for more details.

Figure 1. Layout of Yield Editor 2.01 and its two additional windows.

New Legend Feature

A legend tool was implemented in version 2 to help the user set filter parameters more

accurately, as well as to make exploration of the data more informative. This feature, seen at the

right of Figure 1, can be turned on or off at the bottom right of the Map and Manual Editing tab.

Data which can be displayed by the legend tool include yield, moisture, velocity, grain flow,

swath width and overlap ratio (if the automated bitmap method was run). This makes it much

easier for the user to find “oddities” in the data, and to help diagnose possible problems within

the data. There is also an option to select equal intervals for the ten color classes, which divide

the data range up into 10 equal width intervals, or to select equal observations, which places 10%

of the data observations within each of the ten color classes. The first method is useful to help

find individual spikes and flyers, while the second is often useful for accentuating the structure

of spatial trends when the yield of the field is relatively uniform. This can highlight thresher

delay lags across linear and areal features, assisting in the interactive selection of delay times.

Beta Version Warning

Be aware that the current version of Yield Editor 2 (v 2.01) is currently in beta development.

That means that errors can, and likely will occur during your use of the product. If you are

unwilling to deal with this, you would be well served to continue using the previous version of

the software, which will remain available from the website below until this version is considered

stable.

https://www.ars.usda.gov/services/software/download.htm?softwareid=20&modecode=36-20-

15-00

Form Layout and Design Descriptions

Load/Import File Tab

There are several frames on this page that provide various functions related to loading and

import of various files and configuration settings. We’ll take a look at several of them, one at a

time.

Figure 2. Layout of Load/Import File tab of Yield Editor.

Help and Links

This frame provides you with a link to this manual, in adobe acrobat format (.pdf), as well as a

link to the USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Unit download site, where you can

download the latest version of this software. Additionally, there is a direct email link that you

can use to ask questions and/or provide feedback regarding this software. Finally, this frame

also provides an About button, which shows the current version of the software and compilation

date of that version.

Automated Options

This frame (shown in the top right on Figure 2.) allows the user to decide whether they will use

the new automated features in the AYCE window, or whether they will use manual filtering and

editing features from past versions. No automated filtering does not launch the AYCE window,

so the automated features are disabled. Interactive mode allows the user to use automated filters,

but then to modify and/or include additional filtering and editing to the resulting map. Automatic

filtering only applies the automated filters and exports the data automatically once AYCE is

complete. For more information on AYCE and its operation, see that section of this manual.

Load Configuration File

This frame allows the user to load a configuration file using the Load Config button, which sets

all of the filter and configuration settings that will be used to edit the yield data. At startup, the

Yield Editor software will search for a “DEFAULT.SET” file in its program directory. If found,

this file will be loaded, and those configuration and filter settings will become current. To

override these settings, the user can, at any time, load a different configuration (or session) file.

You will likely want to develop several different configuration files as you become familiar with

the software. For example, I have, at minimum, a different configuration file for each

combine/crop combination. That way, when I am ready to import corn yield data from my R42

Gleaner, I already have a configuration file that should have filter values that are close to what

I’ll want. Due to differences in operators, yield levels, and/or combine mechanical settings, they

may not be perfect, but they should be at least reasonable. I may develop more specific

configuration files to deal with more specific issues (i.e. a configuration for the JD9600 in

extremely wet corn with Matt operating, etc.)

You can load a new configuration file at any time – but realize that changes will not be reflected

in the map or in any output until you apply the filters on the Filtering, Mapping and Editing tab.

However, in general you will want to load your configuration file first - before importing your

data.

One further note – the basic yield unit that is computed by Yield Editor is lb/ac. To get to

another unit, your grain type density setting must be something other than one. For example, to

get to bu/ac for corn, density should be set to 56. To get to hundredweights for sorghum, density

must be set to 100. You can use this feature to convert output yield to any units you wish, with a

little mathematical savvy.

Select Automated Options

Yield Editor 2 can be operated in three modes. The first is to use NO automated filtering, which

causes it to function exactly as the original versions were designed. The user must select his filter

parameters, apply them, and then save the data when he is finished.

The second method is to use interactive mode. In this mode, the user MAY choose to apply

automated parameters and use some additional new filters. However, he may override the

settings, modify the results, and/or manually edit the data to meet his needs.

The third method is to use automated mode. In this mode, the software is generally called from a

batch file, parameters are defined both by the settings file and by the automated yield cleaning

expert (AYCE) routine, and the data are processed and saved automatically to predefined

locations.

Import AgLeader Advanced or Greenstar Text File

Once your configuration file is loaded, you’ll next want to import some yield data. But before

you do, first, make certain that your Selected grain type is correct, and that the crop density and

market moisture levels for that grain are set properly. You can choose a different Selected grain

type by double-clicking on the appropriate line of the table. You can use the Edit Table

checkbox to Add, Delete or Modify entries in this table to meet your specific needs. If you don’t

want to have to enter these changes every time, you should save your default configuration file

after your edits are complete and correct.

Next, you may want to change your geographic projection information. This software uses UTM

coordinates for all mapping and calculations. As a result, the software must know what UTM

zone the data should be projected into. The software computes a UTM zone based upon the first

longitude and latitude found within the imported text file. As long as the data in that first line is

“good” there should be no problem, and the conversion should work properly. There are times,

however, where a producer might have many fields in UTM zone 15, and one field that barely

falls into zone 16, and he may decide to project all his fields into zone 15 for convenience. In

that case, the user can specify the Forced Zone value (15 in this case), and the data file he

imports will then be projected to that zone.

Once your configuration, grain type and projection options have been set, you’ll want to import

some yield data using the Import button. The default file extension that the software will be

searching for will be (*.txt) and should be of type AgLeader advanced or Greenstar text ONLY.

Select the file for import and hit the Open button. The software will quickly import about 50

lines of the file for you to preview, will compute the default UTM zone from these data, and will

ask you to confirm that the file, grain and projection settings are appropriate. If any of the three

are incorrect, cancel this confirmation, select the correct settings, and begin the import process

again. A status bar will keep you informed as to progress, and will let you know when the

import is complete. If an error occurs during the import, a message will be provided. The most

common cause for an error occurring at import is that the file not in either an AgLeader

advanced or a Greenstar text format.

Exporting Data from Commercial Software

This software is designed to work with any data that is in AgLeader advanced or Greenstar text

formats. However, in order to have the greatest control over the editing process, and to avoid the

possibility of losing some useful information at the end of transects, we recommend that you

select your combine export parameters from your commercial yield management software in a

manner so as to minimize the number of points that will be deleted during the export, since we

can easily filter any excess points, but cannot “recover” points which have not been exported.

To do this, you should set a grain flow delay time that is close (+ 5 s), but not necessarily

identical to the correct value. In our experience, 12 seconds would be suitable on the vast

majority of combine setups. Next, you should select zeroes for start and stop delays. You

should probably disable minimum and maximum yield filters, and may even want to allow

export of positional flyers and/or points where the header has been raised as well, if your

commercial software allows you to select such options.

Import Data Using FOViewer

FOViewer provides a very simple way to download the data directly from a card into Yield

Editor, without the time consuming export procedure listed above. To import data using

FOViewer, you must first download and install FOViewer and any driver files that are needed

for the card image type(s) that you are using. (i.e. Deere, AgLeader, CNH). The software can be

downloaded from the Mapshots Inc. website, located at:

(http://www.mapshots.com/FODM/fodd.asp)

First hit the FODD key (bottom right) and choose the type of card you will be downloading.

Next, switch to the map view, and select the fields and/or loads that you want to bring into Yield

Editor. Finally, hit the Yield Editor icon at the top of the page, and Yield Editor will be

launched with the selected data already loaded and ready to process. Data can be filtered and

edited, then exported and/or settings and sessions can be saved as well. There are still some bugs

I am working through with Version 2.01 and FOViewer. However, the system is quite stable

using earlier versions of Yield Editor.

Load a Previous Yield Editor Session

It is often the case that I find myself wanting to save my current editing session so that I can ask

a farmer, a combine operator or consultant some questions about “oddities” that might exist in a

particular map. The software allows you to save your current state (including filters and

parameters, display settings, output formats, notes and more) to a file at any time. You can then

load this file at a later point and continue the editing process. You can send the session file to

another person so that they can get or give advice on how to proceed. You can even have them

perform additional editing, make changes, add notes, and then save and return a session to you.

To load a previously saved session, hit the Load Session button, and choose the session you wish

to load. The default file extension for a Yield Editor session is (*.yes). Select the correct

filename and hit the Open button.

Note that Yield Editor 2.xx can read 1.xx files, and vice-versa. However, there are some

advanced features of version 2.xx files that will be ignored by 1.xx versions of the software.

Note: Loading a session file loads both data and configuration information - in effect overriding

your current configuration file.

Importing “other” data

The program will allow other data formats and crops, such as grapes, cotton, etc. to be processed

using Yield Editor, as long as the data is placed in a format similar to AgLeader advanced export

format (Table 1). The first ten columns must have at least a “placeholder” value so that parsing

can be done properly, even if the value is a constant, and the columns that are bold are required

for the software to run properly. Others, such as moisture and header status may be useful for

additional filtering/adjustment purposes.

The data can be saved as a comma separated variable file (CSV), and then imported as if it were

an AgLeader advanced file. Additional columns can be included after the tenth column, and they

will be ignored by Yield Editor.

The pass number must exist, but it can be set to a single value, in which all data will be attributed

to the same transect. This will cause some of the filters to behave erratically (e.g the start of pass

and end of pass filters) and will mean that the transect selection tool will not be all that helpful to

you, should manual editing be desired. Finding a way to increment pass number (e.g. when

heading changes, when there is a time interval break, etc.) may be an easy way to create this pass

number variable in a more useful way. Table 2 demonstrates a snippet of data in a format that

will be accepted by Yield Editor.

Table 1. Required data fields in bold for emulating AgLeader advanced file format.

Table 2. A small sample of raw yield data in correct format:

-92.957970 39.878645 0 1034859103 1 36.96 342.12 11.2 0 1

-92.957974 39.878638 0 1034859104 1 34.2 342.12 11.2 0 1

-92.957976 39.878633 2.9 1034859105 1 27.6 342.12 11.2 1 1

-92.957981 39.878628 5.1 1034859106 1 25.2 342.12 11.2 1 1

-92.957984 39.878623 4.2 1034859107 1 19.68 342.12 11.4 1 1

-92.957985 39.878620 2.4 1034859108 1 15.36 342.12 11.3 1 1

1) Longitude decimal degress, negative in W hemisphere

2) Latitude decimal degrees, negative in S hemisphere

3) Flow pounds per second

4) GPSTime seconds

5) Logged Interval seconds

6) Distance inches

7) Swath inches

8) Moisture percent wet basis

9) Header Status unitless, 1 = harvesting, 0 = not harvesting

10) Pass Number unitless, generally +1 each header up/down cycle

Filtering, Mapping and Editing Tab

Figure 3. Layout of Filtering, Mapping and Editing tab in Yield Editor.

This is the tab where the actual work gets done. Once the data has been imported, or a session

has been loaded, click on this tab to display a map of the current data. Along the left side of the

form you will see a Filter Selection frame that deals with the selection, parameters and display of

various filter types. Below that, you will see a Yield Statistics frame that gives basic statistics

about the yield observations. The majority of the form is taken up by the Map and Manual

Editor frame. At the bottom of this frame, there is an advanced button which, when clicked,

makes available an Advanced frame that allows for some more powerful manual editing and

masking features. Let’s take a closer look at these four frames, in turn.

Filter Selection

Here you choose, modify and evaluate the performance of different filter types (shown on left

side of Figure 3). To include a particular filter in the filtering process, click on the Use?

checkbox to the left of the filter name. To modify the parameter(s) associated with the filter,

change the information in the textbox next to the filter name. To “highlight” the points that have

been removed by a filter, click on the Show? Button adjacent to the filter name. This highlights

the filter name as well as the points affected by that filter on the map at the right in a magenta

color. To display ONLY those removed points, double click on the Show? button. To turn off

this feature at any time, click on the Filter Selection frame, and highlighting will be turned off.

To the right of each filter name are a set of textboxes that show the number of observations that

have been deleted due to each of the individual filters. Note that a single point can be affected

by multiple filters, so totaling these values does not give you the total number of points filtered

(although that information can be found in the yield statistics frame).

Filter Types Flow Delay (GFLO) – This parameter sets the length of time to shift the grain flow data within

each transect with respect to the other data columns (position, velocity, etc.). A positive value

indicates that grain flow will be moved backwards in time relative to position data, while a

negative value indicates that flow will be moved forward in time. In general, the software

packages used to create AgLeader advanced and Greenstar text files will have already applied a

flow delay to their data. This filter is best used to slightly adjust this parameter, since Yield

Editor allows you to rapidly adjust this filter and get immediate map updates. In this way, you

can visually evaluate the best setting for this parameter very rapidly. A filter setting other than

zero will result in some data at one end of the transect being deleted by this filter.

Moisture Delay (MFLO) – This parameter behaves in the same fashion as the flow delay filter,

but with respect to the moisture data. There is no reason to believe that the delay time of grain

travel to the moisture sensor should be the same as delay time to the grain flow sensor, and this

filter allows you to compensate for that fact. A positive value indicates that moisture data will be

moved backwards in time relative to position data. Negative values move the moisture data

forwards in time.

Start Pass Delay (BEG) – This filter is used to trim observations off of the starting end of a

transect. As the combine ramps into the crop, the yield estimates will be low and unreliable for

some distance into the crop. This filter allows the user to chop a specific number of observations

from each transect in the file at once. Note that the effect of this filter can be hidden by the flow

delay filter, since a flow delay of 5 and a start pass delay of 5 will both remove the first 5 points

from each transect. In general, when exporting data from your commercial yield management

software to AgLeader advanced or Greenstar text files, you should set their start and end delay

parameters to zero. This will make it much easier to deal with delay adjustments in Yield Editor,

and will give you the most control over the editing process.

End Pass Delay (END) – This filter is used to trim observations off of the exiting end of each

transect. As the combine ramps out of the crop, the yield estimates will be dropping and likely

unreliable for some number of observations at the end of each transect. This filter allows the

user to chop a specific number of observations from each transect in the file at once. Note that

the effect of this filter can be hidden by the flow delay filter, since a flow delay of -5 and an end

pass delay of 5 will both remove the last 5 points from each transect.

Max Velocity (MAXV) – This filter provides an opportunity to remove observations based upon

the velocity of the combine. This is sometimes useful to remove partial swath transects that may

have been harvested more rapidly, but were not properly marked in the yield monitor data. The

parameter entry should be the maximum allowed velocity in mph.

Min Velocity(MINV) – This filter is one of the most critical to the yield cleaning process. As

combine velocity approaches zero, while grain flow remains nearly constant, computations of

point yields can become astronomical. To quickly identify and remove these points, a

reasonable lower bound for combine velocity can be chosen, and points below this threshold

automatically removed. The parameter entry should be the minimum allowed velocity in mph.

Smooth Velocity(SMV) – This filter can be used to help identify those regions where rapid

velocity changes have taken place. The parameter here represents an allowable ratio of

velocities from one point to the next point in a transect. A ratio of 0.2 means that points with

velocity changes of more than 20% compared to its neighbors should be removed.

Minimum Swath (SWA) – This is another filter that can be critical, depending on your data

collection procedures. IF the combine operator has manually measured swath width throughout

the field, and some of those swath widths near a value of zero, then swath width can have similar

effects to velocity in the computation of yield. In that case, we can eliminate these problem

areas by setting a minimum swath width filter. In this case, any points with swath width

readings smaller than the minimum swath parameter (in inches) are deleted.

Maximum Yield (MAXY) – This filter sets a maximum threshold for reasonable yield values, in

bushels per acre. If this (and the next) filters are active, the color scale used to graph the yield

data is based upon the range of these two filters. The color scale is broken into ten equal size

color segments, ranging through the spectrum from blue (lowest yield) to red (highest yield). If

these two filters are not set, the color scale is based upon the maximum range exhibited in the

yield data. This can often cause your color scheme to seem all blue, since high spikes in the

yield distribution can stretch the scale out dramatically.

Minimum Yield (MINY) – This filter sets the minimum allowable yield threshold, in bushels per

acre.

Standard Deviation Filter (STD) – This filter is used to remove yield data that are more than a

certain number of standard deviations from the fieldwide mean of the yield data. The parameter

is the number of standard deviations above or below the mean yield value that should be used for

the bounds.

Header Down Req (HDR) – This filter removes any yield observations where the header down

indicator was not present. Note: Depending on your settings when exporting the data from your

commercial yield management software, these points may have already been filtered out of your

data.

Position Filter (POS) – This filter allows you to remove positional “flyers” and/or data segments

that are in your import file, but lie outside of the field of interest. The parameters are the easting

and northing corners of the box that you want to REMAIN after the filter is applied. The

coordinate system used here is NAD 83 UTM and the coordinates are in meters.

Adjust for Moisture (MST) – While not really a filter, since it removes no data, this section

provides the user with the ability to modify yield values based upon the moisture status of the

grain. There are several things to consider here. First, if we are going to adjust grain yield back

to a market moisture level, will we use the moisture sensor data to make this correction?

Sometimes this is not a good idea, as the moisture sensor can have significant problems that may

cause very large (and incorrect) adjustments to yield. Even if we do use the sensor, we will need

a manual value to use in problem areas (the end of transects, etc.). Another approach is to use a

constant manual value to make the correction across the whole field (for example, the moisture

value reported at the point of sale). This approach is less prone to major sensor based errors, but

may miss real variations that exist within a field. A final option that we need to consider is

whether we want to expand the grain yields where the moisture falls below the market moisture

level up to the yields they would have been at the market moisture level.

Yield Statistics

This frame in the Filtering, Mapping and Editing tab simply displays the mean, standard

deviation, coefficient of variation, number of observations and the range of the yield values.

There are two rows of data expressed. The lower row consists of the statistics on the raw data,

prior to any yield editing. The upper row consists of the statistics for the remaining data at the

current point in the yield editing process.

Map/Manual Editing Tools

This frame is where the yield map is displayed, and where manual editing of the yield map is

carried out. At the top of this frame is a status region that has two major uses. As the mouse

moves across the map area, the easting and northing values of the pointer are displayed. This

provides the user a frame of reference, particularly if they are not familiar with the UTM

coordinate system. Also, when a single point is selected, information about that selected point is

displayed on the status bar including yield, grain flow, velocity, moisture, swath width, header

indicator, time interval, a removal code (discussed later) a pass/ transect number and a point

number within that pass.

The map itself consists of a number of yield observations, which are represented as colored

squares. There are ten colors across the visible spectrum ranging from blue to red, and those ten

classes are of equal size based upon the maximum range of the clean yield data. The symbol size

of these squares can be adjusted using the textbox at the bottom right of the frame, and the units

are map based, in meters. Two “special” colors may be evident on the map. A black outline

around a square indicates that that observation is currently selected. A magenta outline around a

point indicates that that point is currently highlighted. These two conditions will be covered in

detail later.

There are three major groups of tools at the bottom of this frame: the zoom tools, the pan tools

and the manual editing tools. We’ll look at each in order:

Zoom Tools Zoom to Extents – Scale the map to the outer extents of the position data, or to the maximum

extents of the position filter, if that filter is activated.

Bounding Box Zoom – Left click and hold on the map at one corner of the region you wish to

display, and drag the pointer to the opposite corner of the area you wish to display and release

the mouse button.

Zoom In – Performs a simple zoom in based upon the current map location.

Zoom Out – Performs the inverse operation to the zoom in tool.

Pan Tools

The pan tools consist of four directional buttons that slide the map a small increment in any of

the four directions.

Manual Editing Tools

Point Select – This tool places the cursor in point select mode. The cursor that indicates that the

user is in this mode is a white, angled arrow. While in point select mode, a click on the map will

select the nearest point to the cursor, if that point is not already selected. If the point is already

selected, the point will be unselected by that operation. The most recently selected point will

have its associated data displayed on the status bar at the top of the frame.

Transect Select – This tool places the cursor in transect select mode. The cursor that indicates

this mode is a vertical black arrow. While in transect select mode, a click on the map will select

the nearest transect to the cursor, if that point is not already selected. If the transect is already

selected, the transect will be unselected.

Bounding Box Select – This tool places the cursor in bounding box select mode. The cursor that

indicates this mode is a black cross. While in this mode, a left click and drag followed by a

release will select all of the points bounded by the coordinates of the drag operation. If the

<Ctrl> key is held down in conjunction with this operation, the points inside the region will be

unselected instead.

Unselect All – This button will cause all of the selected points to become unselected.

Delete Selection – This button will cause all of the selected points to become manually deleted.

Pressing the <Del> key will also have this effect.

Query Selection – This button will open an analysis tool that will display several histograms

based upon all currently selected data points. Data types analyzed include yield, grain flow,

velocity, moisture and swath width. The user can page between any of these five histograms,

and can increase or decrease the number of bars used to display the histogram, as well as

rescaling either the X or Y axes. This tool can help the user diagnose possible problems in the

data, and may assist them with the selection of reasonable values for many of the filters

Advanced Editing Tools

The final section of this tab which we need to consider is the advanced manual editing section.

This section becomes available by hitting the <Advanced> button. These tools provide a very

powerful way of dealing with problems that can come up during the editing process. However,

these tools are a bit difficult to understand, and can confuse the user who is not familiar with

them. In any case, these features should generally be used ONLY after all of the automated

filters have been applied, as reapplying the automated filters MAY undo any masking (described

below) that has been done.

The first option that you will see in this frame is the ability to select point types other than

“Clean”. Clean is the default option, and will cause only those points remaining in the map to be

selected by a select operation. However, there are times when a user may delete a selection and

then realize that they want those points back. Choosing the Deleted option causes the selection

tools to perform their operation ONLY on deleted points. Similarly, selecting the All option

allows the user to select all points, clean or deleted,.

The usefulness of this feature is that we can then mask the effects of any of the filters, over any

subset of points in the map. For example, suppose that we wanted to use a start pass delay of 7

seconds and an end pass delay of 12 seconds on a particular field. However, there were several

areas in the field where the combine header was raised momentarily, say to cross a 1m wide

ditch in the field. This would have the effect of causing a “break” in the transect, and the two

areas on opposite sides of the break would be in different transects. Therefore, 7 seconds would

come off of the “starting” end and 12 seconds would come off of the “ending” end – leaving a

gap of about 19 seconds removed over that instantaneous break. We really do want to remove

issues related to velocity, min a max yield, and all the other filters, but we would like to remove

the effects of the start and end pass delays on these small areas only.

To accomplish this, we would choose the Deleted points option, use our selection tools to select

the regions where we wanted to remove the effects of these filters, and then choose the filters we

want to mask from the listbox. You can use the <Shift> and <Ctrl> keys to select multiple filter

types from this listbox. As you select filters, the RmCode textbox will update with the specific

masking value that will remove the effect of the selected filters. This RmCode is, in effect, a

decimal representation of the series of binary filter flags that apply to individual data points. The

individual bit flag values associated with each filter type are:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flow Delay = 1 = 2

0

Moisture Delay = 2 = 21

Start Pass Delay = 4 = 22

End Pass Delay = 8 etc.

Max Velocity = 16

Min Velocity = 32

Smooth Velocity = 64

Minimum Swath = 128

Max Yield = 256

Min Yield = 512

STD Filter = 1024

Header Down = 2048

Position = 4096

Manual Deletion = 8192

Overlap = 16384

Localized STD = 32768

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The RmCode for several filters can be manually added together and entered by hand into the

textbox above the Mask button (though it is generally easier to select them from the listbox). Of

more use is the fact that the RmCode can be exported (see Save/Export File section) and can be

used on a point by point basis to determine the reason(s) for the removal of individual points.

Once you have your points selected and your filters to mask selected, hit the Mask button and the

selected points that had been removed by those specific filters will be returned to Clean status

and restored to the map. But points that were removed due to even one other filter than those

selected will not be restored. Manual deletions, can be undone with the use of the last option in

the filters to mask listbox – Manual.

Note: These masks are temporary in nature – meaning that if you reapply the automated filters

by hitting the Apply Filters button, the areas that you restored will once again be removed. For

this reason, you will want to make sure that you have finished ALL of your automated filtering

before you begin the masking process.

Save/Export File Tab

Figure 4. Layout of Save/Export File tab in Yield Editor.

This is the tab where our work gets saved. There are three frames on this page that deal with this

process: Export Data, Save Filter and Configuration Settings, and Save Current Yield Editor

Session. We’ll take a look at each of these frames in turn.

Export Data

This is how we get our final product, clean yield data, out of our software (see upper left frame

in Figure 4). The user can select which fields they want to output by selecting the check boxes

next to each name. The data will be exported in the order listed, though only the selected

columns will be output. Of these, the ones that are not self explanatory are AGL Flag Code, and

RmCode. The AGL Flag Code is the value in the AgLeader advanced format that includes, but

is not limited to the header indicator. For example, if you use their marking system in the field,

the values of those marks will show up in this field. The RmCode is the removal code generated

by the Yield Editor software. It is a code that tells the user which filter or filters have caused the

deletion of that point from the data. Obviously, if we export only the clean data, this RmCode

will be zero in every case.

There are a couple of formatting options that may be selected. First, the user can select comma

or space delimited ASCII. Either of these can be very easily imported into almost any GIS,

analysis or graphics software. The other option is how to handle negative latitude and

longitudes. Some packages prefer that these values remain positive, even when in the southern

or western hemispheres. This gives the user the ability to export lat/lon either with (where

appropriate) or without the negative sign.

The last selection that must be made is to choose what subset of data we wish to export. Usually,

we will want to export only the clean points. However, there are times that we might want to

export only a selected region for some reason. Also, to do more analysis of why certain points

were removed, we may want to export only the deleted points, or possibly all of the points, along

with the RmCode to assist in recognizing the good from the bad.

Save Filter and Configuration Settings

This is the place where individual configuration files can be created. As mentioned previously, it

may be a good idea to have several configuration files, at least one per every combine/crop

combination that you use, so that you will have a good point from which to start. Also notice

that you can save the current configuration to be the default configuration – making it the

configuration that will come up when Yield Editor is started each time.

Save Current Yield Editor Session

This is the place where we can save our current session, and be able to resume it at a later time.

The session log seen in this frame is saved along with the session, and will include important

operations that occurred (i.e. file imports and exports, etc.). It can also be manually edited in

case you want to add notes, questions or comments before archiving or possibly transferring the

file on to some other user. Even if you have exported the cleaned data, it is a good idea to save

the session, as it will provide you a great deal of information about filter and configuration

settings, as well as allowing you to make further modifications at some later date, should the

need arise.

AYCE – Automated Yield Cleaning Expert

Figure 5. Layout of AYCE window in Yield Editor.

Auto Min/Max Filters

This frame (shown center left in Figure 5) allows the user to let AYCE pick automated ranges for

position data, velocity data and yield data. If the checkboxes adjacent to each of these filters are

selected, the software will determine reasonable parameters for the POS, MINV, MAXV, MINY

and MAXY filters and will set them as selected. Once these filters have been applied, the map

will be updated, and the execution of AYCE will continue.

Delay Computations

AYCE uses a method based upon a technique from image processing known as phase

correlation. Lee et al. (2012) give a complete description of the method. The method is based

upon a random noise image, so each run through the method can provide a “different” answer.

As a result, we call this method ten times each for grain flow delay and moisture flow delay

estimations. The two graphs on the right of the screen show the results of these runs for one

sample file. The Y axis is the relative spatial consistency of the image at each flow delay time

computed. The red dots indicate the best solution for each of the individual runs. The blue lines

indicate a “normalized” average value over all ten runs combined. In both of these cases, the

individual runs vary by a few seconds, but the range of these estimates is quite consistent. If the

values were more inconsistent, the outline of each graph might be colored yellow or red. A

yellow border is a warning that the estimate may not be very reliable – in other words, the user

should beware. A red border indicates that the method is not finding any kind of convergence in

the estimates, and as a result the automated method will NOT select a delay time, and the default

in your settings file will be used instead.

Bitmap Based Overlap Filter

The overlap filter (OVL), which is used to remove observations where the combine was

travelling over a previously harvested area, was based on the bitmap method suggested by Han et

al. (1997). The method produces a bitmap with a cellsize that can be user selected, with each cell

in the bitmap initialized to a value of “unharvested”. While the user can select this value, we

found a cellsize of 30 cm to be generically suitable, and this is the current default setting in

version 2.01. Figure 6 illustrates the basic idea behind the bitmap method. During a given time

interval, the combine header moves forward a discrete distance, creating a “harvested” polygon

P. Each of the grid cell centers that falls inside P is checked to see whether it is already marked

(e.g. harvested) or unmarked. The ratio of marked cells to total cells inside P, termed the overlap

ratio, is computed, and then all of the cells inside P are flagged as marked. If a polygon has an

overlap ratio above a user-defined threshold parameter, indicating that a significant portion of the

area has already been harvested, then the yield data point associated with that polygon is flagged

for removal by the bitmap filter. We found this method to be extremely effective at removing

overlapped data on fields harvested with a single combine, assuming reasonably good GPS data

and that the harvest data were properly sorted in chronological order. Data from fields harvested

with multiple combines would need to be chronologically sorted across all combines before the

overlap filter could be applied. Poor GPS accuracy will limit overlap filter utility. The user may

modify both the overlap limit percentage for retaining points, and the cell size of the bitmap.

Smaller bitmaps may use drastically larger memory space, and take much longer to complete.

Figure 6. Illustration of the bitmap method by Han et al. (1997) for removal of overlapped areas.

Localized STD filter

The localized STD filter (LSD) helps to catch spikes and fliers that are obviously out of place

compared to their neighbors. This filter operates by producing a square grid of resolution equal

to a user-defined integer multiple of combine header widths after implementing the POS filter

which defines the field extent. Within each grid cell, the mean and standard deviation of the yield

are computed. Observations outside of the range of plus or minus a user-defined number of

standard deviations are removed by this filter. The LSD filter is effective at catching fliers

missed by the SMV, MINV, MAXV, MINY, and MAXY filters, as well as reducing the effect of

ramping at the border between end rows and the interior field passes. The user may modify

parameters of both the number of standard deviations from the mean for retention, and the size of

the grid, in header widths.

Using AYCE in Interactive Mode

The interactive mode behaves exactly like the previous version of Yield Editor, with one caveat.

When the Map and Manual Editing tab is activated, the AYCE window will also be loaded.

Filter parameters for both the new and old filter types can be set, choices of which filters will be

implemented can be made, and then IF the user wants, he may hit the “Run Auto Filters” button

on the AYCE screen. If so, the AYCE module will take a short while, usually less than a minute,

to determine suitable settings for each automated procedure, and will update the map as each

filter setting is complete. A message “Automated Filters Complete” will display above the

progress bar on the AYCE window when all automated filters have been applied.

The user may then change filter settings manually, re-run AYCE with new parameters and/or do

additional manual editing to the data. When complete, the user may save and/or export the data

manually, and if the program was run from batch mode, additional saves and exports may occur

on exit, per the instructions from the batch call.

Using AYCE in Automated Mode

The automated mode was created strictly for batch processing of harvest files. The batch call is

generally made in visible mode, so the user can see the yield cleaning process as it is being

completed. However, there is also a hidden mode option, so that the processing is done without

loading and viewing the windows.

Batch Mode Language Details

Calling Yield Editor 2 is as simple as opening a batch file or a dos prompt and entering one or

more lines of the following form.

Path\yieldeditor /option1 /option2 … /optionN

Where:

Path = installed path of Yield Editor (usually c:\Program Files\Yield_Editor)

And options include:

/fin = “f” ‘ f = the settings file (.set) to read in before execution.

/fout = “f” ‘ f = the settings file (.set) to export after execution.

/csvin = “f” ‘ f = the harvest data file (.csv) AgLeader advanced format to import.

/csvout = “f” ‘ f = the cleaned data file (.csv) where export data will be saved.

/yesin = “f” ‘ f = the Yield Editor Session (.yes) file to load on startup.

/yesout = “f” ‘ f = the Yield Editor Session (.yes) file to save on exit.

/hide ‘ indicates batch cleaning will be invisible to the operator.

/auto = “x” ‘ x = “y” for fully automated processing or “p” for interactive processing.

Examples:

C:\Program Files\Yield_Editor\yieldeditor /fin="SB_CP_02.set" /csvin="sample1.txt" /auto="p"

/yesout="Sample1.yes"

This line calls yield editor with the SB_CP_02.set settings file loaded, imports Agleader

advanced text or comma delimited data from “sample1.txt”, launches the AYCE module in

interactive (p=prompt) form, so the user can select and approve of parameters, and then saves the

yield editor session file to “Sample1.yes” on exit from Yield Editor.

C:\Program Files\Yield_Editor\yieldeditor /fin="CN94.set" /csvin="sample2.txt" /auto="y"

/csvout="Sample2C.csv"

This line calls yield editor with the CN94.set settings file loaded, imports the Agleader advanced

“Sample2.txt” file, performs the automated filters automatically, and then automatically exports

the data columns indicated in CN94.set to the output file “Sample2C.csv” and exits.

C:\Program Files\Yield_Editor\yieldeditor /fin="CN2.set" /csvin="sample3.txt" /auto="y"

/yesout="Sample3.yes" /hide

C:\Program Files\Yield_Editor\yieldeditor /fin="CN1.set" /csvin="sample4.txt" /auto="y"

/yesout="Sample4.yes" /hide

These two lines of a batch file will do the automated filtering and saving of session files

indicated, but will do it in the background, so that the user doesn’t see the forms and dialogs.

Though I haven’t done so in these examples to minimize space, it is probably wise to indicate

full paths to all filenames for both input and output. Errors and or searches for “lost” files will

likely result otherwise.

Recommended Procedures

Figure 7 shows the basic flow of operation for Yield Editor 2. The automated filters, if selected,

can provide a high level of rapid, hands-free error removal. Additionally, the user can explore

interactive filtering as described previously. If both automated and manual filtering methods are

to be used, we recommend first using the automated AYCE methods and then following that

with any interactive filtering and manual editing that might be desired/required.

Figure 7. Sequence for applying Yield Editor 2.0 automated and interactive filtering methods.

Yield Mapping – Some Useful References

Arslan, S., and T. S. Colvin. 2002. Grain yield mapping: Yield sensing, yield reconstruction, and errors. Precision Agric. 3(2): 135-154.

Beal, J. P., and L. F. Tian. 2001. Time shift evaluation to improve yield map quality. Applied Eng. Agric. 17(3): 385-390.

Beck, A.D., S.W. Searcy, and J.P. Roades. 2001. Yield data filtering techniques for improved map accuracy. Appl. Eng. Agric. 17(4):423-431.

Blackmore, B. S., and C. J. Marshall. 1996. Yield mapping: Errors and algorithms. In Proc. 3rd Intl. Conf. Precision Agriculture, 403-416. P. C. Robert, R. H. Rust, and W. E. Larson, eds. Madison, Wisc.: ASA, CSSA, and SSSA.

Blackmore, B.S., and M. Moore. 1999. Remedial correction of yield map data. Precision Agric. 1:53-66.

Chung, S. O., K. A. Sudduth, and S. T. Drummond. 2002. Determining yield monitoring system delay time with geostatistical and data segmentation approaches. Trans. ASAE 45(4): 915-926.

Drummond, S.T., C.W. Fraisse, and K.A. Sudduth. 1999. Combine harvest area determination by vector processing of GPS position data. Trans. ASAE 42(5):1221-1227.

Griffin, T.W., C.L. Dobbins, T.J. Vyn, R.J.G.M. Florax, and J.M. Lowenberg-DeBoer. 2008. Spatial analysis of yield monitor data: case studies of on-farm trials and farm management decision making. Precision Agric. 9: 269-283.

Han, S., S.M. Schneider, S.L. Rawlins, and R.G. Evans. 1997. A bitmap method for determining effective combine cut width in yield mapping. Trans. ASAE 40(2): 485-490.

Lee, D. H., K. A. Sudduth, S. T. Drummond, S. O. Chung, and D. B. Myers. 2012. Automated yield map delay identification using phase correlation methodology. Trans. ASABE 55(3):743-752

Moore, M. 1998. An investigation into the accuracy of yield maps and their subsequent use in crop management. PhD diss. Silsoe, U.K.: Cranfield University, Silsoe College.

Simbahan, G.C., A. Dobermann, and J.L. Ping. 2004. Screening yield monitor data improves grain yield maps. Agron. J. 96:1091-1102.

Sudduth, K. A., and S. T. Drummond. 2007. Yield editor: Software for removing errors from crop yield maps. Agron. J. 99(6): 1471-1482.

Sudduth, K.A., Drummond, S.T and Myers, D.B. 2012. Yield Editor 2.0: Software for automated removal of yield map errors. Paper No. 121338243. ASABE Ann. Intl. Mtg. Dallas, TX. 7/29/12.

Thylén, L., P.A. Algerbo, and A. Giebel. 2000. An expert filter removing erroneous yield data. In Proc. 5th Intl. Conf. on Precision Agriculture [CDROM]. P. C. Robert, R. H. Rust, and W. E. Larson, eds. Madison, Wisc.: ASA, CSSA, and SSSA.

Yang, C., J. H. Everitt, and J. M. Bradford. 2002. Optimum time lag determination for yield monitoring with remotely sensed imagery. Trans. ASAE 45(6): 1737-1745.

Simple Tutorial using AYCE

The following tutorial with a very simple yield map should help get you started with this

software. Follow the steps below, and you should be able to understand most of the features in

just a few minutes time.

1) Start the Yield Editor software

2) From Load/Import File tab, hit the Load Config button, and choose the default.set file

from the \Program Files\Yield Editor\Samples directory.

3) Hit the Import button, and select the sample2.txt file. Notice that several lines of data

will fill the preview pane, and that the crop type matches our selected crop type. Also,

notice that the computed UTM zone is 15 – which is correct for this field. Hit OK to

continue with the import.

4) Flip to the Filtering, Mapping and Editing tab and you should see the map displayed,

with all the automated filters having been applied. Notice the AYCE form which has also

been loaded. Hit the <Run Auto Filters> button. It will take a minute or so for AYCE to

complete all operations.

5) There are still a few transects that appear to be overlapped, or narrow swaths. Under the

manual editing tools frame, select the vertical black arrow which is used for transect

selection. Move the cursor onto the map and click on a specific suspect transect. You

can see that it has been selected when a black outline appears over each of the

observations. Click on the same transect again. The transect will now become

unselected, and the black outlines will disappear. You can select as many transects as

you like for removal, then hit the delete (flaming trashcan) button. These transects have

been removed.

6) Before using the point selection tool, zoom in on the map a bit. Choose the bounding box

zoom tool (crosshairs with a pointer inside) and then do a drag and drop on a smaller area

of the field that you want to investigate more closely. If you haven’t zoomed in quite

right, you can use the zoom to extents, zoom in or zoom out tools to help you get to the

right level of zoom. You can also use the four pan arrows to slide the image up, down,

left or right.

7) Now choose the point selection tool (white arrow pointing to the left a bit). Your cursor

should switch to this white arrow as well. Now go in and select individual points with

your mouse. Notice that as you select points in this mode, the status report area at the top

of this frame shows a large amount on information about that specific point. Also notice

that if you select the same point again, the point is unselected. If you have points you

want removed, select them and delete as described in step 5. To clear a selection use the

Unselect All tool. This removes all points from the current selection (but does not delete

them!).

8) When you are happy with any edits you have made, switch to the Save/Export File tab to

save your work.

9) At the bottom of the page, you’ll see a session log and notes section. It contains

information about the configuration and import files that were used during this session.

You can also click on this textbox and add additional notes or questions.

10) Hit the Save Session button to save the current state of the yield editor system, including

filter selection, parameters and configuration settings, notes, etc.

11) If you wish to do so, you can export the data, and/or the configuration settings as well –

these sections are fairly self explanatory.

Tutorial using advanced manual techniques

This tutorial should show you how to use the non-automated tools to clean your yield maps more

aggressively and with more control than with the automated methods.

1) Start the Yield Editor software

2) From Load/Import File tab, hit the Load Config button, and choose the CP_Beans.set

file from the \Program Files\Yield Editor\Samples directory.

3) Hit the Import button, and select the sample1.txt file. Notice that several lines of data

will fill the preview pane, and that the crop type matches our selected crop type. Also,

notice that the computed UTM zone is 15 – which is correct for this field. Hit OK to

continue with the import.

4) Flip to the Filtering, Mapping and Editing tab and you should see the map displayed,

with all the automated filters having been applied. Adjust the value of the flow delay

filter from 2 to 3 and hit the Apply Filters button (or <F10>). Now try several more

values. Notice how the map quickly adjusts to the new delay time. After trying several

different values, settle in on one that appears to align the features on the map most clearly

(2 appeared best to me).

5) Next, turn off the checkboxes next to the flow delay, start pass delay and end pass delay

filters and hit the Apply Filters button. You will notice that a significant number of low

yielding (blue colored) points will become visible on the map, especially at the end of

passes, and in the northernmost block of transects. Most of these were removed by the

start and end pass delay flags. Turn these filters back on again and hit the Apply Filters

button again to see the difference.

6) Making sure that the filter has been turned on and applied, you can see which points were

removed by the start pass delay, by clicking on the show option next to the start pass

delay label. These points will be displayed in magenta. To see those points more clearly,

double click on the show option next to the start pass delay label. You can try this

feature with any of the applied filters.

7) Next, let’s try out the selection tools. Under the manual editing tools frame, select the

vertical black arrow which is used for transect selection. Move the cursor onto the map

and click on a specific transect. You can see that it has been selected when a black

outline appears over each of the observations. Click on the same transect again. The

transect will now become unselected, and the black outlines will disappear. You can

select and/or deselect as many transects as you like.

8) Now lets try the bounding box select tool. Choose the black cross button and move your

cursor over the map. You should have a black cross cursor at this point. Click and hold

the cross over one corner of a region you want to select, and then drag the mouse to the

other corner and release. All of the points inside this region should be selected. You can

do this over as many regions as you like. To unselect some or all of these, hold down on

the <Ctrl> key while operating the mouse as described above, and any points inside the

region should be unselected.

9) Before using the point selection tool, zoom in on the map a bit. Choose the bounding box

zoom tool (crosshairs with a pointer inside) and then do a drag and drop on a smaller area

of the field that you want to investigate more closely. If you haven’t zoomed in quite

right, you can use the zoom to extents, zoom in or zoom out tools to help you get to the

right level of zoom. You can also use the four pan arrows to slide the image up, down,

left or right.

10) Now choose the point selection tool (white arrow pointing to the left a bit). Your cursor

should switch to this white arrow as well. Now go in and select individual points with

your mouse. Notice that as you select points in this mode, the status report area at the top

of this frame shows a large amount on information about that specific point. Also notice

that if you select the same point again, the point is unselected.

11) Now clear your current selection. The fastest way to do this is to choose the Unselect All

tool. This removes all points from the current selection (but does not delete them!).

12) Now zoom out to extents and choose your bounding box selection tool. Select a fairly

large chunk of data – say several hundred points. Then hit the Query tool (a large yellow

question mark). This will launch a second form, which displays a histogram of the yield

data in your current selection. You can select several different data layers (grain flow,

velocity, etc.) and can change the appearance of the graph as well in several ways. You

can also return to the map page and continue modifying your selection. Your query

results will be updated each time you add to your selection, to represent the new data that

have been added (or deleted). If your selection should become empty then the query

results form will automatically close. If at any time you wish to bring the Query form to

the foreground, just hit the Query button again. Go ahead and hit the Unselect All button

and accept the prompt which closes down the Query Results form.

13) Hit the Advanced button at the bottom of the page. An advanced frame will appear at the

bottom left of the form. We are going to use this section to replace those points at the top

of the map that were removed by the start delay and end delay filters.

14) On the advanced frame, choose the option to select points of the Deleted type.

15) On the eight transects at the top of the map there are several sections where the header

was lifted for a very short period of time, causing the start and end delay filters to remove

significant areas of good data from the map. Using the bounding box select tool, select

those regions NOT NEAR THE END ROWS where this occurred.

16) In the Filter(s) to Mask listbox, select the Start Delay filter, then hold down on the

<Ctrl> key and select the End Delay filter as well. Once both of these are highlighted,

hit the Mask button. The selected points that had been removed only due to the start and

delay filters, have now been restored to the map. Notice that some selected points were

not restored. This is due to the fact that some of the points had other filters that had

caused their removal. You can click and double-click the show buttons in the filter frame

to investigate this further.

17) Switch to the Save/Export File tab to save your work.